Animated article holder



April 12, 1966 H. ARENSON ANIMATED ARTICLE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 29, 196-3 INVENTOR- yzeezkr AKEA/SOA/ ATTORNEYS A l r A 8. I I

April 12, 1966 H. ARENSON ANIMATED ARTICLE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 29, 1963 INVENTOR. AEififif AFEA/f'U/U United States Patent Office 3,245,164 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 3,245,164 ANIMATED ARTICLE HOLDER Herbert Arenson, Overland Park, Kans., assignor to Maximilian, Incorporated, Kansas City, Mo., :1 corporation of Missouri Filed Nov. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 327,005 7 Claims. (CI. 40-65) This invention relates to animated article holders or signals, and has for its principal object to provide an article and holder structure wherein movement of an article to and from a position on the article holder or receiver portion thereof effects movement of a message-bearing member or signal.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an article and a holder for receiving said article and holding same while the article is not in use with a messagebearing member positioned with the message invisible while the article is in the receiver portion and movable to a position to expose the message when the article is removed from the holder; to provide such a structure wherein the message-bearing member is retracted into the holder as the article is placed in the receiver portion and is moved to a protruding position when the article is removed from the receiver portion; to provide such a structure wherein the message-bearing member is operatively connected to a resilient member that biases said message-bearing member outwardly with said resilient member arranged to exert a force on the article in the receiver portion to effect a frictional engagement of the article with the receiver portion and thereby retain said article; to provide an animated article holder in the form of a desk set wherein the article-is a writing instrument and the holder is in the form of a body having a receiver portion for the article with portions spaced longitudinally of the article for engaging same and a resilient member that applies lateral force to the article to cant same in the receiver and effect retaining engagement with the article; to provide such a structure wherein the messagea'bearing member is a panel movably mounted on the holder with said panel being operatively connected with the resilient member to bias said panel outwardly of the holder to move the message thereon into view; to provide an animated article holder holder that is economical to manufacture, efficient in operation and that attracts attention to the message or signal by the movement of the member bearing same in response to movement of the article to and from the holder.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspecitve view of a desk set embodying the features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the article holder with the article removed therefrom and the message-bearing member in message-viewing position.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the article holder with the messageabearing member protruding therefrom with portions broken away to illustrative movement-limiting portions thereof.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the article holder with the article positioned therein.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the article and holder with the article substantially removed from the holder- FIG. 6 is a partial horizontal sectional view through the holder taken on the line 66, FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a modified form of holder wherein the message-bearing member is pivotally mounted thereon and actuated in response to moving the article to and from the receptacle therefor.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 generally designates a combined article-and holder therefor with a message-bearing member or signal that is activated in response to movement of the article to and from the holder, and includes a holder 2 with an article-receiving portion 3 for receiving the article 4 and a movable message-bearing member or signal 5. 'In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the combination is a desk set wherein the article 4 is a writing instrument and the holder 2 is adapted to be positioned on a desk top or the like and support the writing instrument whereby it extends upwardly in inclined relation thereto. The structure illustrated is exemplary only as it is contemplated that the article may be any form of device that is used periodically and adapted to be positioned on a receiving portion of a holder for storage or periods of non-use with the cooperative arrangement between the message-bearing member and the article and the receiver portion of the holder whereby the message-bearing member is moved in response to movement of the article to and from the receiver portion of the holder. In the structure illustrated, the holder 2 has a body member 6 with front and rear walls 7 and 8, with the rear wall 8 higher than the front wall 7 and having side walls 9 and a top wall '10 extending forwardly from the upper end m1 of the rear wall 8. The top wall 10 terminates as at 12 in a downwardly and forwardly curved wall portion 13 that extends to the upper end of the front wall 7. These connected front, rear, side and top walls and curved wall portion define a body member 6 that is hollow with a cavity 14 therein and a generally open bottom. However, it is preferred that the lower ends of the front, rear and side walls have outwardly extending flanges 1'5 and inwardly extending flanges 16 to form a base member 17 to which is suitably secured a closure plate 18 as by fastening devices such as screws 19. A cushion member 20 is suitably secured as by adhesive to the bottom surface 21 of the plate 1b. The heads 22 of the screws 19 are preferably recessed in the cushion member 20 and the shanks 2-3 of the screws are threaded into apertures 24 in the flanges 16. This provides a closed bottom to the body 6 and also presents a surface to a supporting surface whereby the body can be moved without marring said supporting surface such as a desk top or the like.

The article-receiving portion 3 is positioned on the wall portion :13 and has spaced article-engaging surfaces 215 and 26 respectively that are of a size and shape to receive the particular shape and size of the article and engage same in areas that are spaced longitudinally of the article. In the structure illustrated, with the article 4 being a writing instrument such as a ball point pen, pencil or the like having a barrel 27, the wall portion 13 has an aperture 28 through which said barrel extends, the aperture being such that the edges defining same form the barrel-engaging portion 26. A wall member 29 preferably integral with the wall portion 16 extends therefrom in spaced surrounding relation to the aperture 28 and tapers or converges to an outer end 60 having an opening 31 with the end portions defining said opening 31 forming the portion 25 engaging the barrel 27 of the writing instrument. It is preferred that the engagement between the portions 25 and 26 and the barrel of the writing instrument be a contact that permits free movement of the instrument to and from the storage position.

The message-bearing member 5, in the illustrated structure, is movably mounted in the holder 2 with the message-bearing member and the holder preferably having cooperating engagement or guides whereby the messagebearing member moves in a defined path. In the structure illustrated, the body 6 is preferably molded of suitable opaque plastic and has an extension 10' that is fixed to the holder and extends upwardly of the wall 10. The extension has walls 11' that are transparent for view therethrough, said walls being extensions of the walls forming the upper portion of the holder, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The message-bearing member includes a panel member 32 having front and rear faces 33 and 34 respectively with the panel 32 extending transversely of the holder 2 adjacent to but spaced forwardly of the rear wall 8, said panel member extending through an opening or space 35 in the top wall 10 and extension 10. In the structure illustrated, there are spaced inwardly extending ribs 36 on the side walls 9 defining guide tracks 37 therebetween adapted to receive respective end portions 38 of the panel member 32. In the structure illustrated, the opening 35 is of lesser width than the body member 6 and the panel member 32 extends through said opening and has outwardly extending lugs adjacent the lower portion to form the end portions 38 that extend into the guide tracks 37. Also, the panel 32 has a thickened portion 39 at the center of its rear surface 34 with a groove 40 therein to receive the forward end 41 of a guide rib 42 that extends forwardly from and is integral with the rear wall 8 to cooperate with the tracks 37 in defining the path and guiding the message-bearing member between the limits of its movement. The message-bearing member 5 may have indici-a 44 on either or both of the surfaces 33 and 34 and is visible when it moves up into the space 35 between the extension walls 11 and when the panel 32 is retracted into the body 6 the message 44 is hid-den.

The movement of the panel 32 may be positive from an engagement with the article 4 but, in the illustrated structure, the message-bearing member 5 is biased outwardly by operative connection with a resilient member 45. An arm 46 in the form of a flat strip has its rear end portion 47 pivotally mounted or connected to the lower portion of the panel 32 and, in the illustrated structure, the rear end 47 is positioned in a groove or notch 48 in said panel immediately below a forwardly extending lug 49 that assures engagement with the rear end 47 of the arm 46 with the panel even if it should move out of the notch 48. The arm 46 extends forwardly below the article-receiving receptacle 3 and is movably mounted on the body by suitable fastening device 50. In the illustrated structure, the arm 46 has longitudinal movement in response to protruding and retracting movement of the panel member and to permit such movement has a slot 51 through which the shank 52 of a fastening device 50 such as a screw extends, the shank 52 of the screw 50 being threaded into a threaded aperture 53 in a boss 55 depending from the wall portion 13, the connection of the arm 46 relative to the body portion being loose to permit free movement. The arm 46 extends forwardly beyond the fastening device 56 and has an end 56 that is engaged by one end 57 of a resilient member 45 such as a coil spring, the other end portion 58 of the spring extending from the coil 59 and engaging the bottom of the wall portion 13 whereby the spring urges the arm 46 rearwardly and also the rear portion of said arm upwardly in the body 6. The rear portion of the arm preferably is slotted as at 60 to receive the point portion 61 of the writing instrument 4 and eliminate possible damage thereto.

In operating a structure constructed and assembled as described, with the article 4 removed from the holder 2, the panel 32 protrudes from the body 6 and the messages on the surfaces 33 and/ or 34 are visible through the transparent walls 11', as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, the panel being urged outwardly by the operative connection of the resilient member 45 through the arm 46. When an article 4 is moved to the holder and to its receiving portion as by the point portion 61 of a writing instrument inserted into the receiver portion 3, as in FIG.

5, the portion of the article 4 near the point engages the arm 46 at the slotted portion thereof, and downward pressure swings the arm 46 downwardly against tension of the spring 45 and moves the message-bearing member 5 downwardly into the body to a position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. When in position for storage, as in FIG. 4, the article 4 and the arm 46 are at an acute angle and the spring causes the arm to exert lateral pressure on the end portion of the article, which in the illustrated structure tends to swing the point portion 61 upwardly, canting the barrel 27 of the instrument relative to the portions 25 and 26 thereby causing a frictional engagement that retains the article in place and thereby retains the message-bearing member 5 in retracted position while the article 4 is in the holder 2. When the article 4 is removed from the holder 2, the resilient member 45 biases the arm 46 to swing same upwardly and move the message bearing member 5 to a protruded position whereby the messages are visible.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 7, the message-bearing member 62 is in the form of a panel pivotally mounted as at 63 on the body 64 whereby the panel can be swung from an upstanding position to a lowered position wherein it closes an aperture or opening 65 in the top wall 66 of the body 64 of the holder. The message is preferably on an inner surface 67 of the panel 62 and thereby invisible when in closing position of the opening 65, as illustrated in FIG. 7. In the structure illustrated, the message-bearing member 62 is L- shaped with a wall portion 68 that moves to opening closing position when the portion 62 is upstanding. The surface 69 of the wall 68 may also have a message thereon. To effect movement of the message-bearing member, it is connected by a link 70 to an arm 71 mounted in the body to have the rear portion of said arm swing up and down in response to movement of an article 4 into and out of the article-receiving portion of the body. The arm 71 is pivotally mounted as at 72 on a boss 73 of the top wall of the body adjacent the forward end thereof, and the forward end of said arm is engaged by a resilient member or spring 74 to bias the rear end of the arm 71 upwardly. The operation of this modified form of the invention is substantially as described in the form illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 inclusive except that the messagebearing member is pivotally mounted for swinging movement rather than sliding movement in guides.

It is to be understood that the invention may take a variety of forms with each providing an attention-attracting motion that is useful in conveying a message and that while I have illustrated and described certain forms of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An animated article holder comprising,

(a) a stationary holder,

(b) a message-bearing member movably supported on said stationary holder and having a message-bearing surface normally positioned to be invisible, said message-bearing member being movable to expose the message-bearing surface for view,

(0) a writing instrument,

(d) said holder having a receptacle holder for receiving the writing end of said writing instrument for positioning same for storage when not in use,

(e) said article holder having laterally spaced parallel guideways extending inwardly from an opening in spaced relation to said instrument receptacle,

(f) said message-bearing holder including a panel having portions movably mounted in said guides for movement to and from a position inside of said holder,

(g) means on said stationary holder operatively connected with said message-bearing member and responsive to the movement of said writing instrument to and from its normal position in said receptacle to move said message-bearing member from its normal position to a position where the message is visible when the writing instrument is removed from said holder,

(h) means operatively connected with said panel for biasing said panel outwardly of said holder,

(i) and stop means engaged in response to outward movement of said panel to limit the extent the panel protrudes from said holder. A

2. An animated article holder comprising,

(a) a hollow body member having front, back, side,

and top walls,

(b) an attention-stimulating means movably mounted relative to said body member for movement relative thereto,

(c) an arm positioned in the body and having one end operatively connected with said attention-stimulating means, said arm extending forwardly in the body,

(d) means movably mounting the forward portion of said arm on said body whereby said arm may swing up and down therein,

(e) an article,

(f) and a receptacle for said article on said body member above said arm,

(g) said receptacle and the arm being in a cooperative relationship whereby when the article is removed from the receptacle the arm efiects movement of the attention-stimulating means in one direction and when the article is moved into the receptacle it actuates the arm to move the attention-stimulating means back to its original position.

3. An animated article holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means on said holder operatively connected with said message-bearing member is an arm having one end pivotally connected to said message-bearing member and another end movably mounted on said holder with said arm extending under said instrument receiving receptacle to be engaged by the writing instrument when inserted into said receptacle, said receptacle having spaced portions for contacting the writing instrument when positioned in the receptacle and the engagement of the arm with the writing instrument applies a lateral force to the writing instrument in spaced relation to said receptacle portions to form a frictional engagement that retains the writing instrument in the receptacle until forcibly removed therefrom.

4. An animated article holder comprising,

(a) a hollow body member having front, back, side and top walls,

(b) said top wall having an opening extending substantially between the side walls adjacent said rear Wall,

(0) a panel member movably mounted on said body member for movement relative thereto, said panel member having faces for bearing messages at least one of which is normally invisible when the panel is in a position closing the opening in the body member,

(d) an arm positioned in the body and having a rear end operatively connected with the panel member, said arm extending forwardly in the body,

(e) means movably mounting the forward portion of said arm on said body whereby said arm may swing up and down therein,

(f) resilient means in said body and engaging said arm to bias same for swinging movement of the rear portion of said arm and movement of the panel operatively connected therewith,

(g) an article,

(h) and a receptacle for said article on said body member above said arm,

(i) said receptacle and the arm being in a cooperative relationship whereby when the article is removed from the receptacle the arm effects movement of the panel relative to the body to a position where the message on the panel face is visible and when the 6 article is moved into the receptacle it actuates said arm to swing same and move the panel member to closing position relative said body opening.

5. An animated article holder comprising,

(a) a hollow body member having front, back, side and top walls and an open bottom,

(b) said top wall having an opening extending substantially between the side walls adjacent said rear wall,

(c) spaced guide members extending downwardly in said body member from ends of said opening,

(d) a panel member movably mounted in said guides for movement to and from the interior of said body,

said panel member having faces at the front and rear thereof for hearing messages which are normally invisible when the panel is within the body,

(e) an arm positioned in the body and having a rear end operatively connected with the panel member, said arm extending forwardly in the body,

(f) means movably mounting the forward portion of said arm on said body whereby said arm may swing therein,

(g) an article,

(h) and a receptacle for said article on said body member above said arm,

(i) said receptacle and the arm being in a cooperative relationship whereby when the article is removed from the receptacle the arm effects movement of the panel outwardly of the body to protrude therefrom to a position where the message on the panel faces is visible and when the article is moved into the re-' ceptacle it actuates said arm to swing same and retract the panel member into the body.

6. An animated article holder comprising,

(a) a hollow body member having front, back, side and top walls,

(b) said top wall having a portion extending from the back wall and terminating in a portion curved downwardly and forwardly to the front wall with said front wall being of lesser height than the back wall,

(c) said top wall having an opening extending substantially between the side walls adjacent said rear wall,

((1) a panel member movably mounted on said body member for movement relative thereto from one position to another, said panel member having faces for hearing messages at least one of which is normally invisible in said one position of the panel,

(e) an arm positioned in the body and having a rear end operatively connected with the panel member, said arm extending forwardly in the body,

(f) means movably mounting the forward portion of said arm on said body whereby said arm may swing up and down therein,

(g) resilient means in said body and engaging said arm to bias same for upward swinging movement of the rear portion of said arm and movement of the panel connected therewith to said other position,

(h) an elongate writing instrument,

(i) and a receptacle for said writing instrument on said curved portion of the top wall of the body member above said arm,

(j) said writing instrument receptacle having spaced portions with openings therethrough substantially corresponding to the portion of the writing instrument encompassed thereby when the writing instru ment is positioned in the receptacle,

(k) said receptacle portions and the arm being in a cooperative relationship whereby when the writing instrument is removed from the receptacle the arm effects movement of the panel to said other position where the message on the panel face is visible and when the writing instrument is moved into the receptacle it acuates said arm to swing same downwardly and move the panel member to said one position and said resilient arm applies a lateral force to the writing instrument to cant the writing instrument in the receptacle portions to form a frictional engagement retaining writing instrument therein.

7. An animated article holder comprising,

(a) a hollow body member having front, back, side and top walls and an open bottom,

(b) a cushion bottom member secured to said body in closing relation to the bottom opening and having a bottom surface for resting on a desk and the like,

() said top wall having a portion extending from the back wall and terminating in a portion curved downwardly and forwardly to the front wall with said front wall being of lesser height than the back wall,

(d) said top Wall having an opening extending substantially between the side walls adjacent said rear wall,

(e) spaced guide members extending downwardly in said body member from ends of said opening,

(f) a panel member movably mounted in said guides for movement to and from the interior of said body, said panel member having faces at the front and rear thereof for bearing messages which are normally invisible When the panel is within the body,

(g) an arm positioned in the body and having a rear end pivotally engaged with the panel member adjacent the lower portion thereof, said arm extending forwardly in the body,

(h) means movably mounting the forward portion of said arm on said body whereby said arm may swing up and down therein,

(i) resilient means in said body and engaging said arm to bias same for upward swinging movement of the 8 rear portion of said arm and the panelrconnected therewith,

(j) an elongate writing instrument,

(k) and a receptacle for said writing instrument on said curved portion of the top wall of the body member above said arm,

(1) said writing instrument receptacle having spaced portions with openings therethrough substantially corresponding to the portion of the Writing instrument encompassed thereby when the Writing instrument is positioned in the receptacle,

(m) said receptacle portions and the arm being in a cooperative relationship whereby when the writing instrument is removed from the receptacle the arm eifects movement of the panel outwardly of the body to protrude therefrom to a position where the message on the panel faces is visible and when the writing instrument is moved into the receptacle it engages said arm to swing same downwardly and retract the panel member into the body and said arm applies a lateral force to the writing instrument to cant the writing instrument in the receptacle portions to form a frictional engagement retaining the writing instrument therein and thereby the panel retracted in the receptacle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1907 Bessel et a1. -65 X 7/1920 Vandercor 40-285 

1. AN ANIMATED ARTICLE HOLDER COMPRISING, (A) A STATIONARY HOLDER, (B) A MESSAGE-BEARING MEMBER MOVABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID STATIONARY HOLDER AND HAVING A MESSAGE-BEARING SURFACE NORMALLY POSITIONED TO BE INVISIBLE, SAID MESSAGE-BEARING MEMBER BEING MOVABLE TO EXPOSE THE MESSAGE-BEARING SURFACE FOR VIEW, (C) A WRITING INSTRUMENT, (D) SAID HOLDER HAVING A RECEPTACLE HOLDER FOR RECEIVING THE WRITING END OF SAID WRITING INSTRUMENT FOR POSITIONING SAME FOR STORAGE WHEN NOT IN USE, (E) SAID ARTICLE HOLDER HAVING LATERALLY SPACED PARALLEL GUIDEWAYS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM AN OPENING IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID INSTRUMENT RECEPTACLE, (F) SAID MESSAGE-BEARING HOLDER INCLUDING A PANEL HAVING PORTIONS MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDES FOR MOVEMENT TO AND FROM A POSITION INSIDE OF SAID HOLDER, (G) MEANS ON SAID STATIONARY HOLDER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID MESSAGE-BEARING MEMBER AND RESPONSIVE TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID WRITING INSTRUMENT TO AND FROM ITS NORMAL POSITION IN SAID RECEPTACLE TO MOVE SAID MESSAGE-BEARING MEMBER FROM ITS NORMAL POSITION TO A POSITION WHERE THE MESSAGE IS VISIBLE WHEN THE WRITING INSTRUMENT IS REMOVED FROM SAID HOLDER, (H) MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID PANEL FOR BIASING SAID PANEL OUTWARDLY OF SAID HOLDER, (I) AND STOP MEANS ENGAGED IN RESPONSE TO OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PANEL TO LIMIT THE EXTENT THE PANEL PROTRUDES FROM SAID HOLDER. 